


Past, Present, and Future

by Jgem87



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-16
Updated: 2011-09-16
Packaged: 2017-10-23 19:10:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/253871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jgem87/pseuds/Jgem87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daniel gets the chance to change a horrific event in his past, but to what cost?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Remembrance

Daniel Jackson hurried to get ready for SG-1's mission to P5A-883. He hadn't slept well the previous night and thus had gotten a late start to his day. He had been awake tossing and turning all night remembering that today was the anniversary of Sha're's death. Even though it had been many years since he had lost his wife, the anniversary of her death always made him sad. He missed her still, and waking up to her picture on his nightstand did nothing to help matters.

Daniel sighed and put on his green uniform jacket.

He heard a knock at the door to his quarters.

"Who is it?"

"It's me darling, can I come in?"

Daniel really didn't want to be bothered by Vala, but he let her in anyway. "Yeah sure."

She entered not bothering to close the door behind her. Daniel looked up and saw that she had one of her ridiculous sparkly hair clips in hair. "You know, the leaders of the world we are going to might not take you seriously with your silly hair accessories and little girl hairstyle." He motioned to her pigtails.

She twirled her hair in her fingers. "I don't care, I'll do what I want with my hair. Now, Mitchell told me to come get you; it's almost time to go."

"I know, I'm just running late."

Vala frowned at Daniel, noticing the weary, sad look on his face. "Are you okay Daniel? You look upset."

Daniel looked at Vala and saw the concern in her eyes. He knew that she wouldn't let it go until he told her. He went over to his nightstand and picked up the picture of Sha're. "It's the anniversary of my wife's death." He looked down to study the picture.

Vala walked over to Daniel. "Oh, I'm so sorry darling. Hug?" She put her arms out.

He nodded and she wrapped her arms around him. He held her tightly for a moment, enjoying the comfort of a friend.

Cameron Mitchell chose that time to walk into the still open door to Daniel's quarters. "Whoa, am I interrupting something?"

Vala pulled away from Daniel and scowled at Cameron. "No, I was just comforting Daniel. Today is the anniversary of his wife's death and he needed a hug."

Cam's cheery face fell. "I'm sorry man; I didn't know."

Daniel attempted a smile at him. "Thanks, I'll be okay; just had trouble sleeping last night."

A short while later, Daniel, Vala, Cam, Sam, and Teal'c arrived at P5A-883. They had already spoken to the leader and they were going to discuss possible trade and alliance agreements.

A middle aged man with graying hair greeted them at the stargate. "Hello and welcome to Filora! I am Haren, the leader that you spoke with previously."

The members of SG-1 introduced themselves in turn. Another man came up and introduced himself.

"Hello, my name is Rogy, I am the town historian. Are any of you interesting in learning about our history and culture?"

All eyes turned to look at Daniel. He smiled. "I definitely am, but we came to talk about trade and a possible alliance."

Mitchell spoke up. "Hey Jackson, why don't you and Vala go with the historian and Sam, Teal'c, and I will deal with the alliance and trade agreements."

Daniel looked at Cam thankfully. "Yeah, I'd like that. You okay with that Vala?"

She shrugged. "Sure, trade meetings bore me anyway."

With that, Daniel and Vala followed Rogy, while Cam, Sam, and Teal'c went with Haren.

Rogy showed Vala and Daniel the town square first, where children were busy playing. Daniel was excited to begin to learn about this new planet, especially because it would help to take his mind off of Sha're.

Rogy was explaining some of the local customs when Daniel heard a strange noise behind him. He swiftly turned around to see one of the children clutching at his throat and gasping for air.

"He's choking on his food!" Another child screamed in horror.

Daniel rushed into action immediately. He had long ago learned the Heimlich maneuver and CPR. He started the Heimlich on the child to force the food out of his throat, eventually the food dislodged, but it was too late. Daniel quickly rushed in to perform CPR and save the boy's life.

Rogy, Vala, and half of the village had gathered around to see if Daniel could save the child's life.

After several attempts and many tense moments, the boy started to cough. Another villager quickly came by and picked up the child to take him to their medical center.

Daniel got up and was met by thunderous applause.

"That is Haren's son," Rogy said to Daniel. "You saved his life."

Daniel smiled. "I did what I could."

Vala came over and beamed at him. "I don't know what you call what you did there, but you seemed to bring that boy back from death."

"It's just some basic medical training, but I'm glad he will be okay."

At that point, Haren came rushing over to them. "I heard what happened. Where is my son?"

Rogy soothed him. "It's okay, Thea took him to the medical center. Daniel saved his life."

Haren turned to Daniel and hugged him. "Thank you! I could never properly repay you."

Daniel was shocked that everybody saw him as a hero, he was just doing what he was taught. "There is no need to repay me."

Haren ignored Daniel and turned back to Rogy. "I know you don't like to do it anymore, but how about you offer Daniel The Choice."

Rogy looked surprised. "You sure Haren? You know what that could mean."

Daniel listened to them in confusion. What choice? What was going on?

Haren nodded sincerely. "Yes, I know, but it used to be the highest honor that we had for someone in this town. He deserves such an honor."

"Umm, what honor?" Daniel finally spoke up.

"Yeah, what does he get?" Vala asked sidling up next to Daniel.

Haren smiled at Daniel. "Go with Rogy, he will explain it all to you."

Rogy took Daniel into one of the buildings and had him sit in a dimly lit room.

"Sit down and place your left hand, palm up on the table." Rogy sat down, and Daniel did as he was told.

He was extremely nervous as to what was happening. Haren had said that it was a great honor, but who knew what that meant to the people of this alien world. "Can you tell me what you are going to do?"

Rogy stared at him from across the table. "I will look into your past and offer you The Choice. When I am done looking, I will explain more."

Rogy took Daniel left hand and inspected it thoroughly. He reminded Daniel of a palm reader back on Earth, if that was all that this was, then it was just nonsense.

Rogy suddenly flinched and an odd look came to his eyes as he looked at Daniel. "You have experienced great loss in your life. One in particular was several years ago today."

Daniel wrenched his hand away, frightened. "How...how could you know that?"

"I don't know really, it is a gift I was born with. That loss several years ago still haunts you, you still miss your wife."

Daniel's mind was spinning by what Rogy was saying. He knew about Sha're. "Of course I still miss her. What does this have to do with a choice?"

Rogy looked at Daniel gravely. "I am giving you an opportunity."

"What's that?" Daniel asked warily.

"I am giving you the opportunity to go back in time and save your wife."


	2. Dreams

Daniel stared at the man across from him in awe. "Save my wife? How is that possible?" He pinched himself, certain that he was dreaming.

"I have the means to take you back in time, once there you can save your wife from dying. However, if this is what you choose to do, there will be consequences." Rogy clasped his hands together and stared sullenly at Daniel.

Daniel was still trying to piece together what Rogy was telling him. Of course he wanted to save Sha're, but he knew that if he changed the past, that it would make everything else that has happened since then different, and not necessarily for the better. "What kind of consequences?"

"You would basically be changing all of the events that have happened since her death, and you will not know whether or not you will be making the universe a better or a worse place because of it."

Daniel nodded. "Yes, I figured that. So I am guessing that you cannot tell me which choice would be better for my future as well as the universe?"

Rogy frowned at him. "Technically I can, but I will not because I cannot make this decision for you. It is your choice."

Daniel considered what Rogy had just said to him. "I...I can't decide this right now, I need time to think it over."

"Of course, I can give you a week to decide. Return to me at that time and let me know what you have chosen."

Daniel stood up. "I will. Thank you."

He wandered out of the building and back into the town square where the rest of SG-1 was waiting for him.

Vala saw him first and immediately bounded over to him. "So what did they give you?"

Daniel wasn't sure what to tell Vala and the others, but he needed some friendly advice so he decided to be truthful. "Rogy didn't give me anything of material substance. He gave me the opportunity to go back in time to save Sha're."

Vala's cheery face slumped visibly. "Sha're? You mean your wife?"

Daniel couldn't meet her eyes. "Yes, my wife."

"Oh, and what did you say?" Vala's voice became weaker.

"Nothing yet, I have a week to decide."

By that time, the rest of the team had come over and had heard about the opportunity given to their friend.

Sam looked visibly upset. "Daniel, I know how much you still miss Sha're, but you know how I feel about changing the past. Who knows what would happen if you did that."

Daniel sighed and ran his hand through his short hair. "I know Sam, but it could make things better, it would be a big risk, but I think it would be worth it."

"Then you have decided Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c raised his eyebrow at him.

Daniel shook his head. "No, not yet. It is a big decision."

"Damn right it is Jackson! I know that I never got to meet your wife, but maybe you should just let the past be the past and just look towards the future." Cameron crossed his arms in sincerity.

Daniel through his hands up in the air in frustration. "I get it! Look, I promise that I will take everybody's opinion into consideration, but this is my choice."

"Of course it is Daniel, but this decision could very well affect all of us, not just you," Sam said.

"I know!" Daniel was shouting now.

The team members all argued with Daniel for several moments. Vala was the only one who kept her opinion to herself. She stood outside of the circle that the others had formed hugging her arms around herself.

Eventually, the team stopped fighting with Daniel. He noticed that Vala was oddly quiet and had not fought him as the others did. "Vala? You are uncharacteristically quiet, don't you want to persuade me not to go back as well?"

Vala looked up at Daniel. "It is your choice, I cannot make it for you."

Daniel looked at her in shock. "That's it?"

"Yep," she said not looking at him.

Daniel looked at the others. "See? Vala isn't fighting me about this!"

Sam shook her head. "I think it is safe to say that we are all done arguing with you for now. You know how we feel about it."

That night, when SG-1 had returned home, Daniel laid in his bed thinking about what he should do. For as much pain as he had been through in his life, there were not many things that Daniel would consider changing the past for. However, saving Sha're was different. She was his wife, a sweet and caring woman that he still missed.

He slowly drifted off to sleep; he dreamt of Sha're.

Daniel looked down and saw that he was dressed in the clothing that he had worn when he was on Abydos.

"Daniel?" Sha're's voice called out to him, her heavy accent making his name sound more like 'Danielle' than 'Daniel'.

He looked up and saw his beautiful wife standing before him. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "Sha're, I've missed you."

She pulled back and smiled at him. "I know you have. I've missed you too."

"I've been given the opportunity to go back in time and save your life."

Shock registered on her face. "But, would I not still be a host to a Goa'uld?"

Daniel shook his head. "No, now we know of ways to extract the Goa'uld from the host."

She frowned. "But, if you went back in time, you would no longer remember that information."

Daniel hadn't thought of that before. He would be reliving several years of his life over again, would he even remember anything that had happened to him before? "But, there is a way, so I could find that way again."

"Are you going to go back and save me Daniel?" She looked at him sadly.

He couldn't keep her gaze. "I don't know yet. I do want to save you, but there is so much else involved with it, so many risks I'd have to take."

She tilted his face upwards. "I understand, I know that there are many consequences that come with a decision like that."

He looked into her deep brown eyes. "Thank you Sha're." He kissed her cheek.

Daniel awoke with a start. He wasn't quite sure if he was really talking to some form of Sha're in his dream or if his mind had just conjured her up.

He looked at his clock, surprised to see that it was morning already. Before he could get up to get ready for the day, somebody knocked on the door to his quarters.

He put his glasses on and sat up. "Come in."

A sleepy looking Vala entered the room and shut the door behind her. "Can we talk?" She bit her lip.

Daniel sighed but nodded. "Yeah sure, come sit down."

Vala sat on the edge of the bed. "Have you made a decision yet?" Her gaze never left the floor.

"No, why do you ask?"

She finally looked up at him with a sad look in her eyes. "Well, if you change the past, we might never meet, and if we never meet, I may never change my ways or get to come to Earth at all."

He considered her statement. "Yes, I suppose that is true, but I'm sure you would have eventually changed for the better even if you had never met me."

She shook her head. "No, I'm not so sure I would have. You and the rest of SG-1 have really helped me better myself. Especially you Daniel." She looked him in the eye.

"I knew you had it in you, and I was right. If I do decide to go back and save my wife, you won't remember that we even had this conservation, you won't know any different."

"You mean like we don't remember what happened to us during our fifty years on the Odyssey?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes, sort of like that. You can't miss what you never knew you had."

She still looked sad. "I guess you're right." She looked like she wanted to say more, but she got up to leave.

Daniel got up as well. "Was there something else?"

She turned back, a smirk playing on her lips. "Yeah, you look sexy with your hair all messy like that." With that said she walked out of his room.

Daniel shook his head but smiled, only Vala could go from having a serious conversation one moment to flirting with him the next.


	3. Doubt

Although Daniel was usually up to date on all of his work, he found it very difficult to concentrate. All that he could think about was Sha're and whether or not it would be worth the risk to save her. It had been so many years since he had last seen her, let alone been with her. However, it wasn't like he did not like his life in the present. He had a job that he loved, great friends, and good health. Also, the replicators, Ori, and the majority of the Goa'uld system lords were gone as well. If he went back and changed the past, would he still be as happy as he was now? Would the world still be safe from the villains of the past? Would the world still exist at all?

Daniel took off his glass and rubbed his forehead. He felt a headache coming on.

He looked up as he heard somebody enter his office. "Oh, hi Teal'c."

Teal'c stood before Daniel's desk. "Daniel Jackson, you look tired. Are you unwell?"

"No, I'm just overwhelmed with all of the thoughts in my head, it's giving me a headache."

Teal'c raised his eyebrow at him. "You are still considering the offer made by Rogy?"

Daniel nodded his head, but quickly stopped when it made his head feel worse. "Yes, I mean I don't want to jeopardize the future of the universe or anything, but I miss Sha're and to have her back would be amazing."

Teal'c gave Daniel his typical stoic stare.

Daniel continued. "I know, I know...I'm being selfish here, but I haven't really even dated anyone since Sha're. I miss being in a relationship, having somebody by my side to love. Who knows if I will ever find anybody else?"

The Jaffa gave him an odd look. "I'm sure you could find a wonderful woman to be with Daniel Jackson, maybe even someone that you already know."

Daniel looked up at his friend quizzically. "I really don't know too many women Teal'c, basically just the various women here at the SGC."

"Are none of them pleasing to you?"

Daniel was curious as to why Teal'c was pushing the issue so much. "It's not that. I mean I don't even know what I would look for in a woman to date. If I just had Sha're back, I wouldn't have to worry about that, I wouldn't have to take a chance on getting my heart broken either."

Daniel thought he saw Teal'c shake his head slightly in disagreement. "There is always a risk in love. I believe that the perfect woman for you would be independent, intelligent, and amusing. A woman who can challenge you, but at the same time love you with all of her heart."

"Any idea where I can find a woman like that?" Daniel looked questioningly at his friend.

Before Teal'c could answer Vala came rushing into the room.

Teal'c quickly bowed his head to her. "Vala Mal Doran, hello."

She smiled at him. "Hello Muscles, do you think I could talk to Daniel for a moment please?"

Daniel was irritated that Vala had interrupted their conversation, but he said nothing.

Teal'c answered her. "Of course." He bowed again to his friends and exited the room.

Vala sauntered over to Daniel and sat herself on his desk. "I need to ask you a favor."

He rolled his eyes. "What do you want Vala?" Last time she had asked him for a favor, she wanted him to write her mission report so that she could go shopping with Sam.

Vala gazed at Daniel and he could read the sincerity in her eyes. "If you decide to change the past and you, for some reason, happen to remember all of this, come look for me."

He glanced up at her, puzzled. "Come look for you?"

She nodded. "Yes, try to find me. I don't want to go back to my old life. I don't want to lie and steal and cheat my way through this universe to survive. I want friends I can trust and a place I can stay."

"I'm not sure that I would be able to find you, or that you would listen to me if I did."

She frowned slightly at him. "Just try, please Daniel. If I refuse to listen to you, tell me about my life as a Goa'uld host, or tell me about the jewelry from my father, anything that would make me realize that I somehow knew and could trust you."

Daniel seriously doubted that he would be able to remember what had happened if he went back in time, but if he did he would do as Vala asked. "Okay, I'll do what I can."

Vala smiled and jumped off of his desk, pulling him into a hug. "Thank you darling."

That night, Daniel dreamt of Sha're again.

He was on Abydos again, in the bed that he had shared with Sha're. She was there again too, and he was kissing her, holding her, making love to her. Even though Daniel knew that he was dreaming, he still enjoyed the feeling of being with Sha're again. It had been many years since he had had sex and dream or not, he was going to savor every moment of it.

"Daniel? Have you made your decision yet?" She looked her brown eyes with his blue ones.

"No, I'm sorry. I want to be with you again.," he emphasized his words with soft kisses trailing from her lips to her neck and down to her chest. "I just don't know what the consequences might be if I do. I could be dooming the world to destruction."

Sha're sighed in pleasure and brought his head back up to hers for a kiss. "You could also be making the world a better place. The two of us could accomplish a lot together. We could even have the children that you always wanted."

That is exactly what Daniel had wanted, as much as he loved working with SG-1, he had always yearned for a wife and children. Now he could go back in time and finally have that. He didn't answer Sha're, he just continued making love to her, knowing that he would probably wake up soon. He closed his eyes so that he could just feel.

"Daniel, Daniel." He heard his name being called, but Sha're's voice sounded odd so he opened his eyes.

Instead of Sha're lying underneath of him, he saw Vala. Black locks of hair splayed out everywhere, glittering gray eyes staring back at him with love.

Daniel was shocked, he swore that he was making love to Sha're, but now it was Vala that he was with, Vala that he was making love to.

"Daniel, Daniel!" Her voice was more urgent now.

Daniel awoke with a start. Vala was sitting on his bed shaking him, calling his name to awaken him.


	4. Persuasion

Still remembering his dream and how it turned out, Daniel scooted away from Vala a bit. "I'm up! I'm up! What's wrong? How did you get in here?"

Even though it was early morning, Vala was dressed and ready for the day. "I came to see if you wanted to get breakfast with me and when I got to the door I heard you making some very odd noises, so I convinced the guard to let me in to see if you were okay, I didn't realize that you were sleeping until I came in."

Daniel sat up further. "Yeah, I was sleeping, it is very early you know."

"I know darling, but why the weird noises? Were you dreaming?"

Daniel felt his face flush as he couldn't help but picture the raven-haired beauty before him as she had been in his dream, naked. "Umm...yes, I was, but before you ask what I was dreaming about don't bother, I'm not telling you."

She raised an eyebrow at him and leaned over so that he could clearly see her cleavage. "Oh? That good?"

He wrenched his gaze away from her to stop the dream images from assaulting his mind further. "Stop, just stop. If you want to get breakfast you will have to wait until I get ready."

"Okay, can I just stay here and wait?"

He sighed. "Fine, but don't get into my stuff! Just sit there and be good, I won't be too long."

She laid back on his bed. "I'll be good."

He glanced at her lying on his bed and shook his head. She was certainly making herself comfortable. Daniel went to take a shower and he began to think about his dream. Clearly Sha're turning into Vala was only because she was trying to awaken him. Right? That had to be it. Of course it wasn't like he didn't find Vala attractive, she definitely was, so maybe that had something to do with it as well.

When Daniel was done showering, he stepped back into his room. Vala must have not heard him because she was holding his picture of Sha're in her hands, an odd look on her face.

"I thought I told you not get into my stuff."

Vala jumped and turned around. "Sorry, I was just looking at this picture."

He wasn't really that mad. "It's okay, come on let's go get breakfast."

Vala nodded and set the photo down.

The pair headed to the commissary and sat down with their pancakes moments later.

"What was Sha're like?"

Daniel dropped his fork in surprise. Vala was looking at him intently. "She was sweet, kind, beautiful," he said remembering.

Vala looked back down at her pancakes. "Oh, I see."

Daniel was perplexed by Vala's behavior. What was with the sudden interest in Sha're? "Why do you want to know about her?"

She looked back up at him, an emotion flickered in her eyes. "Just curious."

Daniel didn't believe her but he let it go.

Later on that same day, Sam came to visit him in his office.

Daniel looked up from his book to see her stern face staring down at him. He closed the book and motioned for her to sit down. "Hey Sam, what's going on?"

She sat down at the chair across from his desk. "Are you still considering going back in time?"

Daniel sighed, knowing that Sam would be angry at him. "Yes, I am still thinking about it."

"You know that you could go back to save her, just for her to die again, or something even more terrible to happen."

Daniel couldn't quite meet Sam's angry stare. "I know, I'm sorry, but you have to understand how much I miss her love."

Sam's face softened a bit. "Do you miss her? Or do you miss being in love?"

"Both I guess. I mean it has been several years since she died and time does help to heal those wounds, but I still miss her and I definitely miss being in love."

"You could find someone else to love."

Daniel remembered Teal'c saying basically the same thing to him the previous day. "I'm not so sure, me and Teal'c discussed this yesterday and I don't know if I want to take a chance on my heart being broken."

Sam shook her head at her friend. "Oh Daniel, did you ever think that Sha're died for a reason? That the past was meant to be like that so that you would stay with SG-1 and help us to conquer the Goa'uld, replicators, and the Ori? You know that we couldn't have done it without your help."

Daniel looked up at Sam, he knew that her reasoning made sense, but he was hurt. "Sha're shouldn't have had to die."

Sam sighed audibly. "I'm sorry Daniel, I know that you loved her a lot, but there is just too much at stake here. Plus, I know you can find a new girlfriend, heck why don't you go on a date with Vala? Or just continue the one that got interrupted by the Trust."

Daniel was getting angry. "It wasn't a date! And me and Vala? Seriously?"

"Yes seriously, I think that you two would be good for each other."

Daniel shook his head. Were all of his friends going crazy? "No way. Is it April Fool's Day and I just forgot about it or something?"

Sam got up from her chair. "I honestly think that Vala is more your type than Sha're anyway, but since you refuse to acknowledge it, pretend I never said anything."

Daniel wanted to apologize to Sam for making her upset at him, but she had already stalked out of the room.

He went back to his work, but could not concentrate anymore. He couldn't believe that his friends were still hung up on the time he had taken Vala to dinner. Dinner did not mean a date, and now suddenly Sam was all gung-ho about him dating Vala. He didn't know if that was just Sam's way of trying to persuade him not to change the past, or if she was actually serious.

Just for the fun of it, Daniel decided to imagine what dating Vala would be like. He would take her out to dinner, she would order expensive food and alcohol, possibly get drunk and be all over him for the rest of the date. Her innuendos would increase greatly, and she would annoy the hell out of him. At the end of the date, she would try to get him to sleep with her, or at least jump on him and try to kiss him. A small voice inside of his head wondered if that would be such a bad thing, but Daniel quickly silenced it. Him and Vala? Not going to happen.


	5. Decision

Daniel spent the next few days trying to make a decision regarding saving Sha're or letting her go for good. He had to return to P5A-883 and let Rogy know what he had decided by the very next day. However, he had made no such decision yet. Every scenario, good and bad, had played over and over again in his mind.

All of his friends had tried to 'help' him. Basically they tried to persuade him not to change the past. He couldn't deny that they had very good reasons for him not to go back in time, but Daniel knew that given a similar choice, they would have trouble deciding as well.

Vala was the only one, thus far, who had not incessantly bothered him about his decision. Sure she had asked him if he had decided a few times, but she never tried to tell him that he should not go back in time. He found it very odd that she wasn't the first to tell him that he should not change the past. In fact, ever since he was given 'The Choice", Vala had not been like herself at all. Daniel decided that maybe he should check to see if she was feeling okay.

He walked quickly to her quarters and raised his hand to knock on the door. Just before his hand made contact, he heard voices inside of her room and stopped. Curious, he pressed his ear against the door to eavesdrop.

He couldn't quite make out everything that was said, but he caught snippets of the conversation between Vala and Sam.

Sam spoke softly to Vala. "Oh no, really?"

Daniel then heard Vala's voice waver in reply. "Yes, I can't help it! And now...now I could lose..."

Daniel struggled to hear the end of her sentence, but couldn't quite get it.

"Vala, listen to me. You have to..." Again he couldn't make out the last part.

Vala sniffled loudly. "No, I can't do it."

"But..."

Vala interrupted before Sam could finish her statement. "I know, but I still can't, it's not fair to him. It is still his..."

Daniel groaned in frustration, this whole eavesdropping thing wasn't going as well as planned. He was only getting part of their conversation and what he had heard only proved to confuse him greatly. Apparently Vala didn't want to lose something, Sam wanted her to do something that she can't because it wasn't fair to someone. Some guy. Daniel pondered his new knowledge for a moment before finally deciding to wait until later to talk to Vala, when Sam had left.

Suddenly, the door to Vala's quarters opened and Sam came out, bumping into Daniel.

"Oh Daniel, sorry I didn't know you were there!"

Daniel gave his friend a small smile. "It's okay, I umm...came to talk to Vala, but when I realized that she had company I decided to come back later."

Sam frowned slightly at him then looked away. "Well, I'm done talking to her now, but she is sort of upset."

Daniel crinkled his forehead in confusion. "Why?" Maybe he could find out what was wrong with her.

Sam still wouldn't look him in the eye, which was odd for her. "I can't tell you that, she told me in confidence."

"Oh, well I'm going to go talk to her, I'll try not to make her any more upset than she already is." He was half joking with Sam.

His friend still frowned at him though. "Okay Daniel, but I warned you." Sam stalked off down the hallway.

Daniel knocked on Vala's door.

A few seconds later, she appeared. Her face still had the remnants of tear tracks that ran down her cheeks, but otherwise she seemed okay. "Hey Daniel, what's going on?" She moved over so he could enter the room.

He walked in and she closed the door behind him.

"Darling?"

Daniel realized that he hadn't answered her original question yet. "I came to see how you are doing."

She looked confused. "I'm fine Daniel, why do you ask?"

He shuffled his feet. "Well, you haven't been quite as...umm...annoying lately."

She raised one dark eyebrow at him. "So now you are worried about me?"

"Well, what I meant to say is that you haven't been acting like yourself lately."

She looked down. "Oh."

He tipped her face upward. "Really, what's been going on with you?"

Her eyes met his and he thought that she was going to tell him exactly what was wrong.

However, she broke the gaze again and sighed. "Honestly, I don't really want to talk about it Daniel, don't push me."

He took a step back, away from her. "Sorry, well if you need anything or want to tell me what's wrong, I'm here for you okay?"

"Yes, but for how much longer? How much longer will you be here for me?"

He caught her meaning and sighed. "I don't know. I really haven't decided yet what to do."

He found her looking at him sadly. "Can I at least get a hug? Just in case you choose to change the past?"

He nodded and pulled her into a friendly hug. She clung to him tightly, which caused him to hold her for a few moments longer than usual.

That night, Daniel knew that he had to make a decision by early the next morning. He was hoping to see Sha're in his dreams again so that she could help him choose.

Daniel ran over to Sha're, sweeping her into his arms.

"Sha're, I must make a decision before I go to see Rogy tomorrow."

She gazed into his blue eyes, no doubt sensing his inner turmoil. "Do you love me?'

"Yes, of course."

"Then save me."

He stared at her, shocked. A few days back, she had told him that it was his decision. "What happened to it being my choice?"

She smiled at him. "Seeing you again has brought back so many memories. I remember our first kiss, the first time we made love, and how you told me that you would never love anybody else. I want that again, I want us again."

He kissed her briefly and held her close. "I want that again too. I want to be loved, to have someone by my side again."

"I miss you Daniel, bring me back, please."

Daniel woke up the next morning, sure of his decision. When he told SG-1 that he had decided to save Sha're, they were all upset. Sam was angry with him, telling him that he should reconsider. Teal'c gave him his typical stoic gaze followed by a frown. Cameron didn't want to even think about what would happen when he changed the past. Vala was different. She just sadly wished him well and reminded him of his promise to find her again.

Although his friends were distressed and hurt by his decision, they all came with him to P5A-883 to say goodbye.

When they reached the village, Daniel hugged each one of them in turn. If he remembered Cameron and Vala at all, he knew he would miss them. Since he had known Teal'c and Sam before Sha're died, he only hoped that they would remain friends in the new future that he was about to create.

He gazed over his friends one last time, noticing their frowns and sad faces. "Goodbye," he said as he started walking towards the building where he was going to meet Rogy at.

He had walked almost halfway there when he heard Vala's voice cry out. "Daniel! Wait!"

He turned to see her running towards him.


	6. The Right Choice

He had walked almost halfway there when he heard Vala's voice cry out. "Daniel! Wait!"

He turned to see her running towards him.

He stopped, curious as to what she was going to say to him. Was she going to try to convince him not to go?

Once Vala reached him, she faltered, silently staring at him for a few moments.

"What is it Vala?" He gazed into her gray eyes intently.

Vala looked back at Sam, who nodded at her. "You can do it Vala."

Daniel was very confused as to what was happening. "Wha...?" he began, but was quickly cut off when Vala reached up and pulled his face down to hers, kissing him.

Daniel was shocked, to say the least. This kiss was nothing like the previous ones that had shared on the Prometheus years ago. That kiss was lustful and hurried. This kiss was slow and sensual. Daniel felt his entire body tingle and thrum with pleasure as Vala deepened their kiss, sliding her tongue into his mouth. Daniel responded in kind, before realizing what he was doing. He was about to go back in time and risk everything to save his wife, and here he was in a passionate embrace with Vala! But how could something so wrong feel so right? His heart was beating a fast cadence that was only matched by Vala's. He felt strong emotions flood through him via her kiss. Her emotions and his.

He broke off their kiss and held her at arm's length. "Vala, what...why did you do that?"

"Because I love you, and I had to tell you. If you still want to go back and save Sha're then so be it, but at least I know that I finally shared my feelings with you, and got to kiss you one last time."

Daniel's mind had heard everything that she had just said, but it was still stuck on the first part.

"You love...me?" His voice squeaked a bit when he said the 'me' part.

Her eyes locked with his. "Yes Daniel, I do. I understand that you don't feel the same way, that you want to be with your wife again, but I just needed one last kiss."

He stared at the woman before him. The woman who had incessantly annoyed him, bickered with him, flirted with him, and had become one of his best friends. Over the past few months, he had noticed that he had an increasing attraction to her, physically and emotionally. However, he wrote it off, thinking that he was a fool if he was starting to fall for her tricks. Sam and Teal'c's words of advice to him played through his mind. Teal'c had described Vala when he was talking about the type of woman who he should be with. Sam had said that Vala was better for him than Sha're. Sha're! Right! That was the reason that he was here.

Vala cleared her throat loudly and Daniel was shaken from his thoughts. "Daniel? Did you hear anything that I just said?"

She cocked her head to the side, awaiting his reply.

"Yes," he said.

"Do you have anything to say about it?"

He thought for a moment. So she loved him, and assumed that he did not feel the same way. He had lived for so long without Sha're, and although he would always miss her, he could live without her. He thought of a life without Vala. The life he saw was gray and lifeless, boring and lonely, and not near as much fun. No, he couldn't live without her, he loved her. His admission to himself was surprising, but he knew instantly that it was true.

"Who says that I don't feel the same way?" Daniel took a step closer to Vala.

She looked at him with her mouth hanging open slightly in shock. "Umm, if you loved me, why would you be leaving?"

"Maybe I thought that you didn't love me." He smiled at her.

She frowned and then hit him on the cheek. "Are you blind? I have been in love with you for a long time!"

He touched his stinging cheek. "I know, I'm sorry, I am a little bit dense when it comes to that sort of thing. I do love you though, I can't imagine being without you."

Her eyes began to water, and a tear slipped down her cheek. "Then please don't go back, stay here, with me."

He thought of Sha're, he had been so sure that he wanted to go back and save her, but now he realized that what he wanted wasn't necessarily Sha're, but to be loved, to have somebody who would love him no matter what. Sha're was dead, but that didn't mean that he had to act like he was as well. He loved Vala, just as much, if not more, than Sha're.

Daniel didn't say anything, instead he pulled Vala as close to him as possible and kissed her with all of the love that he had to give.

When he finally broke away, she smiled warmly at him. "Does this mean that you are going to stay with me?"

He laughed. "Yes, I never want to be without you," he said before pulling her into another kiss.


	7. In Memory

Daniel met with Rogy to tell him about his decision. Rogy took him to the room where he had originally given him The Choice and asked him to sit.

"Daniel, have you come to a decision?"

"Yes, I have. As much as I miss my wife, I cannot risk all that I have now just to save her." Daniel saw Rogy's grim face brighten at his words.

He smiled at Daniel. "That is good to hear, changing the past rarely works out as well as people hope it to. Now, if you give me your right hand, I can tell you how your life would have been different if you had changed the past."

Daniel obliged, sticking his right hand on the table, palm facing upwards. Rogy examined Daniel's hand thoroughly.

After a few moments, Rogy looked at him solemnly. "You have made the correct choice. You would have been able to save your wife, but then you would have stayed with her trying to find a way to extract the Goa'uld from her. Eventually you succeeded only for her to die when the replicators, having not been defeated, took over Abydos. You were heartbroken yet again, and you returned to Earth, but you were too late to stop the impending replicator attack. Your planet was taken over and the few survivors were forced to live on one of your spaceships. You spent the rest of your years alone because you never met your one true love. It would have been a terrible fate."

Daniel was awestruck. Vala had saved him from making the worst choice of his life. "Oh, wow. I'm glad Vala stopped me."

Rogy quirked up one shaggy eyebrow at him. "You had chosen to go back?"

Daniel nodded at the man. "Yes, but Vala stopped me and I chose to stay with her instead."

"Well good for her for helping you come to the correct decision. She is the dark-haired woman who came with you through the stargate before right?"

"Yes, that's her."

Rogy smiled. "That's her indeed, your one true love."

Daniel wrinkled his brow in confusion. "How do you know that? And I did love my wife too."

Rogy shook his head slowly. "I can see your future as it will be now as well, and I know you loved your wife, but it wasn't meant to be. Vala is your true love, it just took you awhile to figure that out."

"If you can see my future now then tell me about it."

"You know that I can't. I can only say that Vala is a big part of it."

Daniel was happy to hear that he had made the right decision and also that Vala was a big part of his future.

A few days later, Vala and Daniel were in his quarters sitting on his bed, just talking.

"Darling? I know that you will still miss your wife and I just wanted to let you know that it is okay with me if you ever want to talk about her. Memories are important."

Daniel wrapped his arm around Vala, holding her close. "Thank you. I appreciate that."

She suddenly jumped up and twirled to face him. "Hey! I know something that we could do in honor of Sha're."

For a second, Daniel thought that Vala was talking about some sexual act and he wondered how that would 'honor' Sha're. "Umm...I don't think..."

She looked down at him and caught his meaning. "Oh no, nothing like that, not that I'm opposed to it, but that wasn't what I was thinking of doing."

Daniel relaxed a bit. "What then?"

"Wait here, I have to get a few things," Vala said and she walked out of the room.

Daniel had no idea what she was planning, but he didn't have to wonder long. She came back only a few moments later, carrying a tote bag with her.

She placed the tote bag on the floor. "Sit on the floor and take your shirt off."

Daniel gave her a wary look. "I thought you said that we weren't doing anything like that."

She shook her head and laughed. "We aren't, just trust me."

He did as he was told, slipping his black tee shirt over his head and sitting cross-legged on the floor.

Vala got on the floor as well and brought two tubes of paint out of her bag.

Daniel looked at her incredulously. "Paint?"

She smiled back at him as she began to take the top off of the tube of blue paint. "Yes darling, on my home planet, we had a ritual to honor our dead loved ones. Now relax and let me help you."

He nodded slightly and watched as she squeezed some of the blue paint out onto her hand and then she smeared a glob of it onto Daniel's right hand.

He went to protest, but before he could get a word out she locked eyes with him, silencing him. "On my planet, blue represents healing."

Vala then took the other tube of paint, a bright red, and squeezed out some onto her other hand. She leaned over and painted a good-sized portion on Daniel's chest, right where his heart was.

"Red represents love, now take the paint in your hand and mix it with the paint over your heart."

Daniel lightly rubbed the paint together until it turned purple. "Now what?"

Vala smiled at him as she took out a piece of parchment paper out of the bag and unrolled it. "Now take the new purple color and paint a heart onto the parchment. Purple represents memories."

Daniel took the purple paint and drew a heart on the middle of the parchment. "Can I put her name underneath?"

"Sure you can darling."

He did just that and smiled at the finished product. "That was a nice ritual, thank you for sharing it with me."

"Of course Daniel. I love you and I wanted you to have a nice way to remember and honor your wife."

Daniel felt overjoyed to have such a beautiful and wonderful woman by his side, and to think that he almost let her go.

He found a towel in his bathroom and washed him and Vala off before taking her into his arms. "I'm so glad that I have you."

She gazed up at him with pure love in her eyes. "Me too, I can't believe that I almost lost you forever."

He put his finger to her lips. "Shh, it doesn't matter now. I'm here with you and I'm happy."

She held him closer. "I've never been happier myself. So did Rogy say anything about us being together?'

Daniel smiled at her. "Yep, looks like you're stuck with me."

She grinned back at him. "Oh, I think I'll live."

They both laughed before sharing a loving kiss. Daniel would always remember Sha're, but the past was in the past and he was more than ready to embrace the future with Vala by his side.


End file.
